Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 9, Verse 29

समोऽहं सर्वभूतेषु न मे द्वेष्योऽस्ति न प्रियः । ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या मयि ते तेषु चाप्यहम्

samo'haṃ sarvabhūteṣu na me dveṣyo'sti na priyaḥ | ye bhajanti tu māṃ bhaktyā mayi te teṣu cāpyaham

Translation

The same I am to all beings; to Me there is none hateful or dear; but whoso worship Me with devotion, they are in Me, and I am also in them.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

samaḥ

equal

aham

I

sarvabhūteṣu

in all, beings

na

not

me

of me

dveṣyaḥ

hateful

asti

is

na

not

priyaḥ

dear

ye

who

bhajanti

worship

tu

indeed

mām

me

bhaktyā

with faith

mayi

in me

te

they

teṣu

in them

ca

and

api

also

aham

I

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

I am like fire: just as fire does not ward off cold from those who are at a distance and wards it off from those who go near it, so I bestow My grace on My devotees, not on others. Those who worship Me, the Lord, with devotion are in Me, as a matter of course, but not owing to any attachment on My part. In them also I am, only as a matter of course, not in others. By this behaviour, I cannot be said to hate the latter. Those who are devoted to Me, performing the duties of their caste and order, become pure in mind, in virtue of that very devotion; and they are in Me, i.e., their minds are rendered fit for My presence.